


Burn Baby Burn

by Smooty



Series: 2doc Week 2019 [2]
Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Abuse, M/M, Phase 2, Unhealthy Relationships, sun burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 21:59:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19071514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smooty/pseuds/Smooty
Summary: Day 2- Favorite Album: Demon Days





	Burn Baby Burn

**Author's Note:**

> Phase 2 might be my fave but god were these two angsty back then

“Dents!”

2D was hiding out in their hotel room, huddled under blankets and pillows, hoping the bassist wouldn’t see him. He really, really didn’t want to deal with Murdoc and his attitude today not with how he was feeling. Since getting back together with the band he'd been trying really hard to be more confident and stand up for himself. It'd mostly been backfiring, and he didn't think he had the strength to deal with that today. The blankets moved against his skin and he hissed in pain, giving away his position. 

“2D, I know you’re in there,” Murdoc’s voice came from right beside the bed, raspy and low, but not exactly angry. It made 2D feel brave enough to peak his head out of the blankets. “Satan Dents, you’re burnt to a crisp!”

“I know,” 2D whined, whimpering as Murdoc pulled the sheets down further to get a better look at him. “I forgot my suncream on the shoot yesterday.”

Murdoc brought a finger up and poked the singer in the forehead, watching the way the skin when white, then bright red again. “Ouch! Don’t do that!”

“Oh Dents,” Murdoc sighed heavily, obviously frustrated. “Come’on and sit up, I’ll go get the lotion.”

2D did so very, very slowly, every brush against his burnt skin causing immense pain. He’d been wearing trousers and a hat at least, but they hadn’t done much to save the rest of him. He hadn’t realized how bad it was until this morning. It hadn’t hurt like that when he went to sleep, but he’s also had a few drinks and a couple of pills at the after-shoot party. So maybe he just hadn’t noticed? How could someone not notice  _ that _ ?

Murdoc walked back into the room with a tube of sunburn ointment and sat down roughly next to him. 2D whimpered as the motion caused the blankets to rub against his torso, but Murdoc didn’t apologize. 

“Turn your back to me, Dullard,” Murdoc ordered. 2D did so, again  _ very carefully _ , and braced himself for the feeling of Murdoc’s hands on his back. When it did happen, the cream was too cold and he jerked violently.

“Ah! Too cold!” he cried, fearing actual tears may start to fall. Behind him, Murdoc cursed, then reached out again, this time warming the lotion in his hands first. 

“Its gonna hurt no matter what so jus’ deal with it and it’ll feel better soon.” Stu tried, he really did. He didn’t want to make Murdoc upset, especially with how nice he was being right now. This had to be the nicest Murdoc had been to 2D in… forever! Even if he was being a tiny bit rough with how he spread the lotion. 

“A-are you almos’ done?” he asked, his voice quavery and weak. Murdoc grunted and removed his hands and 2D let out a sigh of relief. 

“Turn around.” Oh shit. Stu had forgotten that his front needed doing as well. He felt a tear streak down his cheek, followed by another, then another. Behind him, Murdoc was getting impatient and he grabbed the younger man by the shoulders and tugged. “2D!”

The singer’s reaction was immediate. He screamed and thrashed, making the pain worse. Murdoc immediately pulled back, his eyes wide. 2D normally took his punches and slaps with barely a sound. The sunburn must really hurt. 

“Calm down! Let me--” But 2D wasn’t having any of it. He smacked the lotion out of Murdoc’s hand and onto the ground, folding himself into the edge of the bed as far away from the bassist as possible. “For fuck sakes 2D!”

Stu sniffled and gasped, tiny sobs hiccuping out of his mouth. “N-no! It h-h-hurts!”

Murdoc was obviously getting fed up with the whole thing. His fists were clenched and his lip pulled up in a snarl. “We have to film Feel Good Inc. in three days, and I’m not havin’ you look like those fish flakes Noodle likes to put on her ramen! So get your arse back over here!”

“W-why’re you bein’ so m-mean!” 2D asked, rubbing the tears from his face. “I t-thought you said you weren’t g-gonna do that anymore!”

The effect of his words was immediate. Murdoc took a harsh breath in, holding it for a few seconds before letting it all out. His fists unclenched and he looked down his fringe falling over his eyes. 2D watched as the older man seemed to deflate completely.

“Shit,” Murdoc murmured, still not looking up. 2D held his breath, waiting for the rest. “Give me another chance?”

That was all he ever gave Murdoc, more chances. But 2D was a romantic at heart, and he couldn’t resist when Murdoc looked up at him with those dark eyes. So he accepted that that was the best apology he was going to get, and moved on. “O-Ok, jus’ be gentle.”

He wiggled across the sofa back into Murdoc’s reach. The bassist stretched to get the ointment and made sure to warm it up before placing his hands on the singer’s chest and shoulders. Stu trembled both with fear and pain, but Murdoc made quick work of his front half and he quickly started feeling better. The roughness was gone from Murdoc’s touch, so it took a little longer, but 2D didn’t mind very much. 

“There, now hopefully we won’t have to go postponing any more shots,” Murdoc grumbled, tossing the cream back onto the floor. 2D nodded and began rebuilding his blanket fort; the sunburn was giving him a headache something fierce. 

“Can you get my pills?” he asked, gesturing over to the bedside table. Murdoc rolled his eyes but did so, popping the cap off and handing him a few--probably more than he should have been taking, but it was fine. “And some water?”

“The things I do for you…” Murdoc grumbled, but he went to do as the singer asked. 2D watched him go, feeling conflicted. Murdoc could swing from helpful and caring, to hateful and violent so quickly… he never knew where they stood. Were they friends? Lovers? They certainly did a lot of things that lovers did, but then Murdoc treated him like shit too. It was all too confusing for the singer. 

“Here.” Murdoc thrust a scummy looking class filled with warm tap water at him and 2D took it gratefully. He downed the cup and placed it down on the table before snuggling back into the blankets, ready to fall into a drug-induced sleep for the next 12-18 hours. 

Beside the bed, Murdoc hesitated. He really, really needed to go practise his moves for the Feel Good Inc. video--he’d  _ almost _ perfected his hip thrusts--but he also knew he should keep an eye 2D. Watching the younger sleep sounded boring as Hell, especially if Murdoc wasn’t getting anything out of it. And Stu  _ definitely _ didn’t look up to sex of any kind. “Uh, I’ll jus’ go then?”

2D hummed, already mostly asleep and barely hanging on to the sound of Murdoc’s voice. Murdoc knew the singer probably wouldn’t remember any of this tomorrow, and that gave him the courage to hand back for a moment, then press a quick kiss to his forehead. 

“Shout if you need me,” he whispered, but 2D didn’t hear. He didn't feel the kiss either, the first gentle affection Murdoc had given him since they started this strange and twisting romance. Briskly, Murdoc walked from the room to go drink on his own. 2D didn’t wake up until the next morning, when he found that despite the ointment, his skin was blistered and peeling. They had to postpone the shoot for Feel Good Inc. which only made the already strained relationship between him and Murdoc worse. It was no surprise to anyone when after El Manana, 2D packed up and left without warning. And neither was it truly surprise when 2D woke up to the face of the man he both hated and loved on the shores of Plastic Beach.


End file.
